Prefabricated building



J. A. WETHERBEE PREFABRICATED BUILDING Filed March 4, 1937 Jan. l1, 1938.

Patented Jan. 11, 193sl UNITED STATES 2.104,81@ `IPREFAIBBICATED lBUILDING John A. Weiher-be, Hansville, n. I., signor toAustinT.Levy,lIarrlsvil1e,R.I.

Application Much 4.1937, sei-lsu No. 129,095

9Claims.

My invention relates to prefabricated buildings.V

It has previouslyA been proposed to form the walls of such buildings of panel units comprising insulating panel boards covered with waterproof paperand carrying on their opposite faces reenforcing rods, and to mount these panels in a frame presenting panel apertures and comprising studs in the form of oppositely disposed channel members, and cooperating upper and lower channel members connectedto and receiving the opposite ends of the studs and including a top channel plate and bottom channel member up-V standing from the foundation, the edges of the panel board being received in the several channel members and the opposite ends of the rods also being received in the upper and lower channel members between the board and the channel flanges. However, it has been found in practice,

. after these panels and the frame have been cov-` ered with anchoring material, usually in the form of wire mesh, and the latter has been subsequently encased in cementitious material, such as stucco on the outside and plaster on the inside, that there is occasionally an abnormal and persistent damp area along the bottom of the panel and extending a short distance upward therefrom, and

invention is to provide an improved construction at the lower edge of the panel, whereby the lower horizontal cut edge of the panel board, which I nd, if formed of Insulite or other like material,

readily absorbs' liquid, not only is eiectually sealed 01T, but whereby it is also made possible to prevent the retention of liquid in the lower channel member and any consequent Wick action by the insulating board, tending to draw any liquid in the channel up into the board, as welll as any subsequent seepage over the foundation. A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved method of erecting such walls whereby the previously described diiiculties with `dampness creeping up the panel or over the interior of the foundation, are eifectually overcome in a simple and inexpensive manner. These and other objects and advantages of my improved construction will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.V Y

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown (CL lz-'1) for purposes of illustration one embodiment whic my invention may assume in practice.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bottom of a wall constructed in accordance with my improvement, a portion of the side of the panel board being-shown exposed and the remainder thereof covered with the usual waterproof paper, except for a small portion which is shown as covered with the anchoring material and stucco outside the latter, a portion at the bottom'of the channel also being broken away to facilitate illustration;

Hg. 2 is a perspective view of the lower edge of the wall structure carried on the foundation as it appears after lling the bottom channel and before any further steps, the end of the structure being shown in section on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

and

Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3 3 of Figure 1, but also showing the completed wall.

In this illustrative construction, it will be under- Y stood that the panels used are of a well-known construction, including an. insulating board l, such as Insulite or the like, having vertical reenforcng rods 2 in spaced relation on opposite sides thereof, waterproong paper 3 preferably being disposed between these rods and the board l, and anchoring means 4 in the form of any suitable wire mesh being preferably subsequently applied and spaced from the board I and paper 3 I posed in Vlower upstanding channel members 1 carried on the foundation 8, the lower ends of the rods 2 also being disposed within the upright flanges ofthe channel l and the latter also being suitably connected as by suitable connecting means I0 to the channels 6.

My improvements comprise an improved construction at the bottom of the wall and associated with the bottom channel l, the bottom edge of the panel board I, and the lower stud and rod ends. Here it will be noted that instead of leaving the space between the bottom edge of the panel and the upstanding flanges of the channel 1 emptyr save for such particles of cementitious material as may nd their way into the same through the anchoring material, I fill this space. Also, I do this at a new stage in the erection of the wall, while also utilizing a waterproof lling material applied in an improved manner andperforming new functions. More particularly, note after the paper covered panel board with the rods thereon has been inserted in the frame, with its bottom edge and rods in the position illustrated in Figure l, and preferably before the anchoring material 4 is applied to the panel, I pour a suitable hot waterproong adhesive liquid which will harden as it cools while still remaining elastic, such, for example, as hot asphalt, into the vchannel along the bottom of the board I, to form an enclosing and sealing means for the bottom edge thereof. As a result, I am able vnot only to seal off the absorptive cut bottom edge of the board I and the adjacent portions of the cut vertical edges of the latter, but also to dry the lower edge of the board and cause any water in the channel to be expelled, the water bubbling out as the hot material is poured in. Further, I preferably continue this pouring operation until the spaces between the channel flanges and each side of the panel are filled to the top of the channel 'I as indicated at Iii, in such manner as thereby to prevent any later entry of liquid or its accumulation in the channel. Then the anchoring material 4 is applied in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 3, with the lower edges of the outer wire extending down over the outer faceof the outer channel flange and the inner wire terminating at the top of the inner channel flange. Thereafter, I also preferably cover a narrow area along the bottom of the inside wire I with grout or other suitable dry mixed cementitious material, as indicated at I2, in such manner as there- -by to form a thin upper continuation of the flange i3, which is usually provided on the inside of the foundation 8 and extends to the top of the inner channel ange, this continuation I2 preferthe channel is quickly and effectively removed by prompt pouring of the hot waterproofing liquid, and that later diillculty with dampness at the bottomof the panel is not experienced. Further, with the hotliquid poured in along each edge of the channel promptly following the insertion of the panel inthe channel, the subsequent entry of water, resulting, for example, from a rain before the cementitious coatings are applied or the roof is put on, is eflectually prevented, the water running down the waterproofed sides of the board and being prevented from accumulating in the bottom channel and causing wicking in the board, as heretofore. Further, by pouring in the liquid before the anchoring material is applied, the process of pouring the same in is materially facilitated. However, it will be evident that where large mesh screening is used, the liquid een, if desired, be 'poured in after the application of the screen. Further, where the mesh is small and is carried upon the panel as a part of the panel unit when the latter is assembled', the lower end of the mesh may of course also be bent up out of the way during pouring if necessary. As a result of sealing off the channel, as described, i e. before applying the supplementary grout, andv also permitting the latter to dry, before applying the cementitious material, it is also made possible further to minimize dampness and to expedite drying oi' the cementitious coatingwhen applied. Further, the lower ends of the reenforcing and spacing rods and the studs are very securely positioned by the waterprooiingmaterialasit hardens,in such manner as thereby even further to strengthen and stiffen the wall. These and other advantages o'f my improvements will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have in this application specifically described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this is chosen for purposes of illustration,l and that the invention may be modiiled in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent iszl. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a panel in said frame having its bottom edge in said channel, and waterproofing means in said channel and in `which the lower edge of said panel is embedded, for sealing said edge.

2. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a panel in said frame having its bottom' edge seated in said channel and spaced at each side from the inner walls` thereof, and waterproofing means in the spaces between each side oi' said panel and said channel for sealing the accumulation of liquid in said channel.

3. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a Vpanel in said frame having its bottom edge seated in said channel, and elastic waterproofing means in said channel in which the lower edge of said-panel is embedded, said panel having a liquid absorptive lower edge and said waterproofing means sealing said edge and substantially 'filling said channel.

4. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a

' panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a panel in said frame having its vbottoni edge seated in said channel and spaced from an inner wall thereof, waterprooilngmeans in the space between said panel and said channel and sealing the lower edge of said panel, and anchoring material spacing means on said panel and embedded in said waterproofing means and positioned thereby. Y v

5. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel and a channeledstud having its lower end seated in said channel, a panel in said frame having its bottom edge seated in said channel and Y spaced from the inner walls thereof and its vertical edge received in said channeled stud, and waterprooilng means in said channel in which the bottom of said panel is embedded, for sealing the lower edge of said panel and the portion of the vertical edge thereof entering said channel. 6. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a panel in said frame having its bottom edge seated in said channel and spaced from the inner walls thereof, and waterproofing means in the space between each side of said panel and said channel sealing the lower edge of said panel, said panel carrying reeniorcing and anchoring material spacing rods and said frame also including a channeled stud seated in said channel and enclosing the vertical edge of said panel, the lower ends of both said rods and stud being embedded in said waterproong material.

'7. In a prefabricated building, a foundation, a panel frame thereon including a bottom channel, a panel in said frame having its lower edge seated in said channel walls thereof, waterproofing means in said channel and in which the lower edge of said panel is embedded, for sealing said edge, anchoring material spacing means carried by said panel, anchoring. material spaced by said spacing means and overlying the outer faces of said panel, and coatings of cementitious material clinched by said anchoring material.

8. The method of erecting walls of prefabricated buildings including a. panel board and a channel receiving the bottom edge thereof, which consists in, assembling said panel in said channel, sealing the bottom edge of said board in said channel, applying a clinched coating of dry mixed cementitious `material enclosing the inner leg of said channel and the adjacent portion of said panel, and after said coating has dried applying clinched coatings oi cementitious material to the remainder of the inside and on the outside of said panel and channel.

9. 'Ihe method of erecting prefabricated buildings which consists in, providing an upstanding bottom channel on the foundation, disposing studs and spacing means carrying panels in said channel with the spacing means 'and lower stud ends inside the channel, filling the spaces on each side of said panel and between said spacing means and studs with hot waterproofing liquid to drive out any liquid in said channel and seal the lower edge of said panel, applying anchoring material spaced by said spacing means and overlying the outer face of said channel, applying a. coating of dry mixed cementitious material to said anchor- JOHN A. WETHERBEE. 

